Today is Lin Mu's Victory

Today was a victory for Lin Mu.

As she escorted the two to the door, she couldn't help but feel a bit reluctant to see them go.

After hesitating several times, she finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Ah Hai, you'll come back to my shop next week, right...?"

"Yeah, I lost, so I'll keep my word. You really have something. In my opinion, today's performance was at least a solid ten. Hmph, kid. I underestimated you."

He turned his back to her, lifting the large bag of baked goods in his hand, his expression hidden.

"Also, I should remind you, although your attitude towards running the shop has improved, if you keep giving away so much stuff to every customer, your shop will still go bankrupt. You know that, right?"

"...Yeah! I know, I'm just celebrating! It's not like I do this all the time!

Oh, and you said I made three mistakes earlier? I don't believe it. I'll definitely go back and check the recording. I'm an honest person—if I made a mistake, I'll admit it, but if I find out you're just messing with me, trying to pick a fight, then I won't let it slide. I'll poison your food next time you come, got it?"

Lin Mu raised her small fist and gave him a soft, cotton-candy-like punch.

"??"

It felt like being hit by a marshmallow.

Lu Qing wanted to laugh but held it in.

He thought Lin Mu was just too adorable. Completely different from the cold, powerful online persona who would dismiss anyone with a "You're terrible, don't even try."

Who would have thought that someone who had been so reclusive in such an environment could "thrive" to the point of being somewhat reassuring now?

Compared to the pitiful Bai Xing next door, or the flower lying in bed in the dark room, she was much more dependable.

Su Ling noticed this too.

She said kindly, "My brother keeps his promises. If he said he'll come, he will. So we'll see you next week."

She extended her small hand, smiling, "I'm Su Ling. And you?"

"Ah, I'm Lin Mu! Lin as in forest, Mu as in harmony!"

Lin Mu, with no sense of caution, responded nervously.

"Wow. What a lovely name. I hope we can get along harmoniously too~"

Su Ling smiled warmly, shaking the cold little hand of the wealthy lolita.

Her heart was clear—

【Little one, if you stay shy and never take the initiative, you'll end up as the loser.】

In her heart, she believed her brother's assessment of Lin Mu was spot-on, and this was an important basis for judging the threat level of her rivals.

Right now, she had the upper hand in information, almost completely aware of the true situation of the "hungry cats" around her brother. Except for the mysterious big sister he had mentioned,

and the one who had hurt him and whom he had stopped paying attention to, no one else posed a threat to her.

Tonight, after getting home, she would flesh out the information and re-plan every day leading up to the "small milestone." Once that was done, the road ahead would be smooth sailing.

【As long as my brother doesn't take the initiative to give you more attention, you'll remain an isolated player, amusing yourself in your little corner, never able to truly connect with him, let alone perform alongside him.】

Su Ling didn't believe that a naive little girl like Lin Mu could independently deduce her brother's true identity through subtle details.

Her straightforward, guileless personality made that clear enough.

How could such a girl possibly control the situation like she could, crafting a targeted, one-on-one plan for her brother?

"The heavens truly don't give someone perfection. Since she's poured all her skill points into playing the piano, it's understandable that she's weaker in interpersonal matters," Su Ling thought to herself.

In any case, Lin Mu's threat level was lower than that of the other "thieving cats." She could be dealt with weekly, rather than requiring constant attention.

...

"Goodbye."

"See you next week! I'll make something even better for you then!"

The lolita, watching the siblings leave, waved her small hand vigorously.

Only after their figures disappeared into the dark hallway did she relax, quickly closing the door and rushing to her DSLR camera.

She wanted to see whether Ah Hai was right or if she had played flawlessly.

To be honest, it had been a long time since she had felt this kind of excitement.

It was as if she had performed in front of someone truly important.

"Could it be because I haven't performed in so long?"

The emotional turbulence in Lin Mu's heart still hadn't subsided.

Because she had no teammates, having been pushed out by them,

she had developed a psychological barrier to the idea of "forming a band." She had decided never to actively seek out teammates again. After all, Qing had once mused in an old Weibo post—

【Finding like-minded "teammates" is ten times harder than finding the right girlfriend.】

After what happened, Lin Mu finally understood the meaning behind those words.

—Yes, finding four or five people with aligned tastes (filtered by interests), who all have the time to practice (time pressure), have decent equipment (financial pressure), are skilled enough (skill filter), share similar values (personality filter), mutually respect and support each other, don't cause drama or form cliques (character filter), consider each other's feelings, and work toward the same goal (shared ambitions)...

Isn't that much more complicated than simply finding a romantic partner?

Musicians all know that finding the right teammates for a serious music project is as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Band members coming and going has become the norm—some go solo, others disband the group. The idea of "forming a band for life" is just a dream.

Under the pressures of life, such dreams aren't realistic. Unless you change your environment, seize the right opportunities, and have ample time, energy, finances, and extraordinary talent to go all-in.

Today, after being "solo" for so long, Lin Mu once again experienced the feeling of being watched by an audience.

Such an experience was truly rare.

And achieving that effect just now was incredibly difficult.

She knew that often, when musicians perform in ordinary settings (commercial gigs, random venues), they're essentially playing to an unappreciative crowd. Even if they pour their hearts into the performance, it's impossible to replicate the exhilaration of playing the right song for the "right people" in a Livehouse or a solo concert.

"Hehe... Luckily, he's a man of his word. Su Ling also said Ah Hai wouldn't go back on his promise. So he'll come next week, he definitely will."

"Even if I give them freebies, so what?"

"As long as someone is willing to listen to me play, to hear my music, that's enough. I'll do anything."

"Hmm~ Today's victory was spectacular, a complete triumph! Maybe I should send the good news to Qing right away?"

The only person Lin Mu wanted to share this joy with was Qing.

If there was any regret, it was that 【she was too strong, ending the match 2:0 and not getting the chance to showcase her third, original piece, meant to be the grand finale, to blow Ah Hai and Su Ling away!】

"Well, it's fine. There'll be other chances."

The original piece she had prepared was titled "One-Sided Love," a song filled with longing and sorrow, conveying the emotions of a young girl. It wasn't fast-paced, but it was deeply moving.

"Right, I should check the video replay first. Even though I couldn't have made a mistake, since Ah Hai questioned me, I have to verify it. Hmph~

Just you wait, I'm such a steady player—how could I lose to you? If I don't find any mistakes, you're in for a scolding next time you come! Hmph!"

With that, the lolita grabbed her DSLR camera, opened the folder, and bravely faced the impending scrutiny.

...

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